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We don’t do this very often but I want to brag on 2 cool Stake Presidents I connect with. The first is my own. He is a newbie. Only been in a few months. Come to find out he spends his summers doing a “Doctor’s Without Borders” deal. Has been for quite a few years. It’s not a church deal or mission trip. Just sharing health care around the world. His family comes along and teaches classes to communities. I was blown away.
The second one is a neighboring SP. He has been, since he was a Bishop, leading his wards to engage in meaningful non-LDS humanitarian service experiences. I met him the other night. All but one ward in his Stake is immersed in genuine community service to the truly needy. It has nothing to do with Just Serve. He told me it is a Bishop’s responsibility to provide for
allthe poor and needy. Not just the people who come and ask for fast offerings or food orders. And not just for ward members. He also sits on the Executive Interfaith Leadership Committee in our community. Rubbing shoulders with people from all the churches in the area. I have known plenty of SP’s in my life – none of them ever did that. Plenty had their own business. Even traveled. But not humanitarian centered. Pretty cool stuff.
My recently released stake president is really cool. We go to lunch every few weeks and talk church history. He knows more than most! All go endeavors in which to belong. It is good to be reminded that despite the many instances in our church where people can be insular, narrow minded, and petty – people in our church can also be impressively giving, charitable, welcoming, and expansive. :thumbup: Thank you. We need to hear these things to try to have a degree of balance. These SPs sound like stellar individuals. I like my current Stake President a lot (I’ve known him a long time) but the kinds of activities that your Stake Presidents do would be totally foreign to my SP (and my stake as a whole). It’s a shame there’s not a bit more push for wards and stakes to get involved in meaningful community service. It just gets better. Over the past couple of months I have been privy to email conversations he has sent out. On every single one of them he signs his initials. No “President So and So”.
I don’t spend tons of time with him, but the moments I do have warm my heart.
There are good examples in the church of good leadership. I like how you notice this…call it out…and share it. It’s good to stay balanced and notice the good and the bad in the church. I have not necessarily found people in the church to be so amazing that there is a difference between mormons and non-mormons.
I simply find it a mixed bag. Some good ones in the church, and not good ones in the church. Good and not good outside the church as well.
That doesn’t minimize a good SP. It’s nice when we have them. I do find most are…and in personal one-on-one chats with them…see they are more flexible and compassionate then we sometimes think based on what they say over the pulpit. Just my experience.
I had a SP about a decade ago who signed all of his emails with only his first initial. There was a Bishop in that stake who went by his first name (e.g. Bishop Nibbler). 
Old Timer wrote:
Bishop Nibbler
From your mouth to God’s ears!
This is a good conversation. For all the time I have been on the high council I have responded to emails (and sometimes sent them) just signing my first name. Most of the others continue to say “Pres. Soandso” and “Brother Watzisname.” I have only recently begun to see some change there with others signing their first names, and, even better, calling each other by our first names at meetings. It makes me feel good when people call me by my first name and aren’t so formal. Frankly I believe the insistence on titles is mostly about power – and it’s wrong. By the way it has never gone like this: Quote:Finn: Hey, Solo, I’m not sure what we’re walking into here…
Han Solo: Did you just call me Solo?
Finn: Sorry. Han. Mr. Solo.
Roy wrote:
Old Timer wrote:
Bishop Nibbler
From your mouth to God’s ears!
I know a guy that’s going to be a great therapist that can help both of you clear up that problem.
🙂 😆 :clap:
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